More than 400 people attended the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day Service held last night at Woronora Memorial Park.
Both Woronora Memorial Park and its sister cemetery, Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, as well as numerous other cemeteries in Australia, participate in the annual service.
During the ceremony there was the release of four doves by keynote speaker Lucas Mara and his wife Gillian.
Other guests included Rachel Bain of Bears of Hope, Jenny Wandl of The Compassionate Friends, and Orietta Worthington and Lorraine Harrison of Red Nose Grief and Loss, formerly known as SIDs and Kids.
The ceremony included the official unveiling of The Dandelion Memorial by NSW Attorney General and Cronulla MP Mark Speakman.
Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust chief executive officer Graham Boyd spoke on the significance of the ceremony.
“When we lose a baby before 20 weeks gestation, there has been little, if any formal way to acknowledge the grief that will accompany this heart wrenching experience,” Mr Boyd said.
“That is why Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park and Woronora Memorial Park hold regular monthly
services, called “Babies with Wings”, where families are provided with an opportunity in our Chapels to say goodbye.
“Woronora Memorial Park receives between three to four pre 20-week babies every month from surrounding hospitals.
“Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park receives between four to five babies each month. Before 20 weeks, families do not receive a death certificate, and in our society, official acknowledgement is often an important part of the grieving process.
“Birth Deaths and Marriages in NSW have introduced “in loving memory” certificates for early pregnancy loss, which are available on application when the loss has taken place in NSW, is before 20 weeks gestation.
“While they are not a legal document, they go a long way to provide recognition. However, for many, what has been real is also very private, and not many may even know of the life that was.
“Our “Babies with Wings” services give not only the families, but also hospital and other support people in our community an opportunity to honour the very brief life that was loved, and lost.”
During the ceremony, participants took part in the International Wave of Light, a worldwide event involving thousands of people lighting of candles at 7pm in local time zones around the world.
This was followed by a minute’s silence.
